Automatic gravity-valve.



W. J. & H. C. DOAN.

AUTOMATIC GRAVITY VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2. m4.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

Wa e ym COLUMBIA PLANoaRAPH c0..WAsmN0'r0N, n. c.

WALTER J. noAN AND HARRY, cinema, or RICHMOND, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC GBAVITY- VALVEI;

Spe fLetterslPa entrammedcct. 12,1915.

Application filed January 2, 19 14. Serial N 0. 809,967.

'United States, and residents of the city of Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented a new and I useful Construction'in Automatic Gravity- Valves, of which the following is afull, clear, and comprehensive specification and exposition, being such as will enable a mechanic to construct and installthe same with exactitude.

Our inventionrelates to valves which are adapted to a great variety of uses, but it is intended moreparticularly to be attached to radiators of steam-heating plants or the like.

The object of our invention, broadly speaking, is to provide an automatic gravity valve which will be entirely automatic I 1I1Vent10I1, that Wl'llCll seems to be the most in its operations after being installed, which will be neat and attractive in appearance,

' strong and durable in construction, reliable in its operations, not liable to become inoperative after long usage, and which can be manufactured, sold, and installed, at a comparatively low price. i

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an automatic gravity valve for steam-heating radiators so constructed that the pressure from inside the radiator may escape through the valve, but absolutely preventing the air outside the radiator from entering through the valve, thereby utilizing hitherto waste heat, dispensing with the necessity of opening and closing the valve manually and absolutely dispensing Wltll' the customary knocking incident to steam,-

heating plants.

As will be seen hereinafter our invention will overcome all of the objections usually encountered in devices of this general char acter, as it will automatically open as the the cooler'air in the radiator to escapein freely and eventuating in the radiator be- 55, being drawn into the radiator, on-account ing heated more quickly, and causing it to maintain its maximum ofv efliciency. And when the heat supply is retarded or cut ofi,

as-during the night time when not attendedto, and as soon as the pressure beginsto de cline, then our valve will automatically close and will absolutely prevent-outside air from of thepressure of the outside :air entering the dome andxpressing into thecavity of the cup member 9 which has a large surface for the air to contact with,and thereby holding the heat and causing the radiator to remain hot for a comparatively long period of time.

Theprinciples of this invention involve theformation of a' partial vacuum in the radiator as the steam pressure decreases and recedes, for the reason that the .valve will of outside air. Then when the pressure in the boiler again starts to increase it is apparent that .the partial vacuum in the radiator will tend to pull the heat from the boiler toward and into the radiator thereby accelerating the heating of the radiator and allowing it to attain its maximum efficiency in a minimum of time. I

One manner for the construction of our practical, is shown in the accompanying drawlngs, 1n wh1ch Figure 1 1s aside elevation of our invention complete and in operative position "automatically close and prevent the'entrance the device, the dome or top being removed.

Fig. l is a perspective view of the cup-memher alone. And Fig. 5 is a plan view oftho upper portion of thedevice, the dome or top and also the cup-member being removed.

Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the invention in detail: The body of .our invention is indicated by the numeral '1, which we prefer to form roundin cross section, the same being provided with a bottom2 which is preferably integral therewith, orsecurely connected I Extending outfrom' the body 1,

thereto; and securely connected thereto, is the threaded nipple 3 which is adapted to be screwed in :the radiator 4, the latter being indicated in dotted lines.

- Extending inward horizontally from the upper end of the body 1 isthe abutment 5. A 7 central circular aperture is' formed throughlthe abutment 5, from the periphery of which is the downwardly tapering valveseat 6 having a smaller opening in its lower end which forms the aperture 7 as indicated in Fig.3, which leads into the cham- *ber 8of the'body. By this arrangement it is apparent that the body 1, the abutment 5, and the valve-seat 6 may be formed integral with each other, that is said parts may be formed from a single, piece of sheet metal and pressed or stamped into the form shown.

Numeral 9 denotes the cup-member of the valve, the same being formed tapering, and it is adapted to fit in the valve-seat 6. The diameter of the upper end of said cup-member 9 is the same as the upper diameter of the valve-seat 6, while the diameter of the lower end is the same as that of the lower end of the valve-seat 6Q .Said cup-member 9 is provided with a bottom, which is integral with the tapering wall thereof, as is indicated in Fig. 2. The upper edge of the cup-member 9 is notched Orcorrugated, as indicated at win the drawings, in which notches or corrugations the baffle 12 is adapted to engage when the cup-member is forced upward in contact therewith, in order to prevent the cup-member from spinning around. Also, if the baffle 12 be dis pensed with, the notches or corrugations :0 will prevent the aperture 11 from being shut off should the cup-member 9 engage the top of the dome 10, as the air will be permitted toescape through said notches or corrugations.

Numeral 10 denotes the dome or cap,

whose diameter is slightly greater than is the diameter of the body 1, the upper end of which it is adapted to cl0se,"tl1e dome being threaded or otherwise detachably'connected to the upper end of the body, substantially as shown. Formed through the ,dome 10 is a comparatively small aperture which the upper end of the cup-member may resiliently impinge should it be carried upward with considerable force.

In practice the device is connected to a radiator in suchmanner that the lnterlor 'of the radiator will be in connection with latter it will escape through the vent 11,

thereby allowing the radiator to clear itself and therefore providing a circulation from the steam generator outward through our valve, and thereby allowing the hot steam to quickly'fill the radiator, and as a small amount of pressure will continue to escape through the vent 11 it is evident that the radiator will continually receive the maximum ofheat, which manifestly could not be the case if no escape were provided from the interior of the radiator. Now as soon as the pressure in the radiator commences to decrease, then the cup-member will automatically seat itself in the valve seat, and the outside air will be prevented from entering the radiator and driving back the hot air, which manifestly would accelerate the cooling of th radiator with consequent loss of heat incident thereto.

It should be observed that by reason of the shape of the cup-member 9 the outside air will have a maximum pressure thereon from above to hold it seated against the inlet of outside air, and also gravity will assure the cup-member righting itself, and will also contribute to holding the cup-memher in its seat.

We would have it understood that various minor changes may be made from that herein set forth without departing from the spirit of our invention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having now fully shown and described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An automatic gravity valve for steam radiators, comprising a main body having a chamber therein, a bottom closing the lower end of said body, an abutment extending inwardly from the upper end of the body and having a central aperture therethrough, a valve-seat tapering downwardly from said abutment, a cup-.member corresponding with said valve seat and adapted to contact therewith and to close both the aperture in the abutment and the aperture in the valve seat, the interior of the cup-member opening up; ward, a dome detaohably secured on the upper end of the body and having a vent formed through its upper end, and resilient means for preventing the cup-member from contact with the dome, all substantially as shown and described.

2. An automatic gravity valve, comprising a body having a chamber therein, a stem extending out from the body and adapted to be connected to a radiator, an abutment formed integral with the upper end of the body, a downwardly tapering seat formed integral with the center of the abutment and extending down therefrom, a cupshaped valve member adapted to rest in said seat and opening upward and having notches formed in its upper edge, a dome detachably secured on the upper end of the body and having a vent aperture formed therethrough, all substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

3. An automatic gravity air valve comprising in combination amain body, a downwardly convergently formed valve-seat located in and concentric with said body with a central aperture therethrough at its lowest point, a stem extending out from the body and located below the valve seat,rthere being inlet means through the=stem to said aperture, a downwardly tapering valve member adapted to contact with all of the valve seat and close said aperture, the same being entirely free to be raised by pressure which may enter through said stem and adapted to automatically'close by gravity when sald'pressure is removed, a cap removably connected around the upper end of the body and extending thereabove, there being a small aperture formed through the top of said cap to allow egress of air when the said valve member is lifted.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WALTER J. DOAN. HARRY C. DOAN. \Vitnesses:

R. E. RANDLE, RLW. RA vDLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Wasbingtomhfi. 

